Putin signs law limiting foreign NGOs

[JURIST] Russia's official newspaper, Rossiskaya Gazeta [media website] reported Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law [AP report] granting tighter state control over non-governmental organizations, including those foreign-based, though there has been no official announcement from the Kremlin. The law, approved by parliament [JURIST report] last week, has been widely criticized [JURIST report], but its supporters defend the measure as necessary to prevent foreign governments and organizations from using NGOs to undermine Russia's security. Reports that Putin has signed the legislation come the same day that a Russian regional high court ordered two foreign NGOs, the UK-based Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development and German group Help [advocacy websites], to halt their work providing aid to Chechen refugees in Ingushetia [government website, in Russian]. The Ingush Supreme Court ruled that the two groups did not have proper authorization. BBC News has more.

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